Mowing-machine.



0. S. MUORE & W. N..V|ETCALF.

MowlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30.1917.

LQG, l Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

nunfo'r OMOORE FWD WN. METCHLT y nasaisa.

OLIVER S. MUERE AND WALTER N. METCALF, OF EVENING- SHADE,

'MOWIN G-MACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.. ft2, 191%.,

Application led .Tune 30, 1917. Serial No. 177,942.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, OLIVER S. MOORE and WALTER N. METCALF, citizens of the United States, residing at Evening Shade, in the county of Sharp, State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Mowing-Mai chine; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mowing machines, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the cutting mechanism is actuated directly from the drive wheels with a minimum amount 0f' gearing, thereby greatly reducing the loss of power due to friction and practically eliminating side draft.

Further objects of the invention arev to provide a mowing machine which embodies a simple and inexpensive mechanism for operating the cutter, which comprises few and durable parts such as are not liable to break or get out of repair. which can be easily drawn across a field by draft animals, and which is at all times under the perfect control of the operator.

With these and other objects in view. the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed ont in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mowing lmachine constructed in accordance with the inventiomportions being broken away and shown in section to illustrate more clearly the details of construction.

. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the driving wheel, portions being broken away and shown in section to illustrate the cam wheel` Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the inner end of the horlzontally reciprocating bar, showing the roller bearings thereon, portions being broken away and shown in section to 'illustrate more clearly the details of construction.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate one embodiment-of the invention, the numeral 1 designates an axle which extends transversely across the mowing machine in the usual manner and has the drive wheels 2 and 3 rigidly applied to the ends thereof, the wheel 2 being of the conventional con struction, while the wheel 3 is in the form o f a hollow casing which has the open inner side thereof closed by a plate 4 mounted upon the platform 5. This plate 4 is held rigidly in position and coperates with the hollow wheel 3 to provide a substantially dustproof housingk within which a cam wheel 6 is arranged, saidvcam wheel being loose upon the axle l and being adapted to be locked therewith when the machine is in operation. Pawls 7 upon the cam wheel 6 are provided for engagement with a ratchet disk 8 which is loose upon the axle 1 and -constructed to be locked with the axle by means of a suitable clutch 9. A convenient hand )lever 10 is provided for manipulating the clutch 9, and when the mowing machine is in operation the ratchet disk 8 is locked with the axle l. If the machine is now advanced in a forward direction the pawls 7 will engage the ratchet disk 8 and cause the cam wheel 6 to turn with the axle. 0n the other hand, if the machine is moved backward the pawls 7 will slip over the ratchet disk 8 and ermit the axle 1 to turn independently o the cam wheel 6.-

A detachable rim 6a is fitted upon the cam wheel 6, said rim being formed with a continuous cam groove 11 which extends around the periphery of the wheel and zigzags back `and forth across the rim. Any suitable when in operation will tend to maintain the lugs 12 in an interlocking engagement with the bayonet slots. A bolt 14 may also be provided to lock the rim 6a against rotation upon the cam wheel 6, this bolt being removable when it is desired to dismount the cam rim 6".

Extending through an opening in the front of the plate 4 is a horizontal reciprocating plun inner end wlth a roller ,16 arranged for engagement with the cam groove 11 extending around the wheel-6. A guide sleeve 17 projects from the plate 4 and surrounds the plun er 15, said guide sleeve having antifrictlon rollers 18 journaled therein or engagement with the plunger todirect the same in its back and forth movements and enable i t to operate without binding or undue friction. The roller 16 at the inner end of the plunger is connected thereto by means of apivot bolt 19, said pivot bolt also enging a swinging hanger 20, and having the head thereof recessed to receive a ball 21 which has a rolling contact with the l inner face of the rim portion of the hollow drive wheel4 3. A retaining ring 22 may be provided for holdinY the ball 21 in position upon the head o the pivot bolt, and the ball 21 may itself be supported by small anti-friction balls 23 arranged within suitable raceways in the head of the bolt.- The hanger 20 extends upwardly from the re- Aciprocating plunger 15 and is pivotally connected to a small bracket 24 projecting inwardly from 'the plate 4. This hanger 20 serves to support the reciprocating plunger 15 and prevent it from moving in the direction of rotation of the cam wheel, thereby Vin theloperation of the machine, and the causing it to be reciprocated back and vforth by reason of theen'gagement of the roller 16 with the zigzag cam groove 11 which extends around the -periphery of the cam wheel 6. The mechanism issuch that there will be practically no binding of the parts rotary motion of the wheels will be transformed into a-reciproeating motion with-fa minimum amount of friction andbut little loss of power.l t

The outer end of the reciprocating plunger 15 is pivotally connected tothe upperyend of an upright lever 25, said lever being pivotally mounted at an intermediater point between its ends upon a supporting bracket 26 projecting outwardly from the plate 4. The lower end of this upright lever 25 is connected by a pitman 27 to a reciprocating knife blade 28 which is mounted in the usual manner upon the finger bar 29. Any conventional mechanism may be -provided for swinging the finger bar and cutter upwardly for the purpose of clearing a stone or other obstruction, or to admit of er 15 which is provided at its l drive wheels rlgid with the axle, one of the drive wheels being hollow and open at one side, a fixed plate closing the open side of the hollow drive wheel, a camvwheel loose upon the axle within the hollow drive wheel and surrounded by a zigzag cam groove,

vmeans for locking the cam wheel with the axle, a transversely reciprocating plunger Aextending through the fixed plate and pro vided at its inner end with a roller which is received within the zigzag groove of the cam wheel, a swinging hanger carried by the fixed plate and supporting the reciprocating plunger, anti-friction means upon the en of the plunger inner face of the rim of a hollow drive wheel, a-cutter, and anoperative connection between the outer end of the reciprocating plunger and the cutter.

2. A mowing machine including an axle, drive wheels applied to the ends of the axle one of the drive wheels being hollow and open upon one side thereof, a fixed plate closing the openl side of the hollow drive wheel, a cam wheel loose upon the axle within the hollow drive wheel and -surrounded by a peripherally extending zigzag cove', means for locking the cam wheel with the axle, a transversely reciprocating for engagement with theV roller at the inner end of the plunger for` engagement with the zigzag groove, a pivot bolt for mounting the roller upon the plunger. an anti-friction ball mounted upon the head of the pivot bolt and arranged for,

engagement with the inner face of the rim of the hollow drive wheel, a swinging hanger carried by the fixed plate and supporting the reciprocating plunger, a cutter, and an operative connection between the cutter andthe reciprocating plunger.

- 3. A mowing machine including an axle,

drive wheels ri 'd with the axle, one of the drive wheels being hollow and form'ed with` an open side, a fixed plate closing the open side of the drive wheel, a cam wheel arranged within .the hollow drive wheel and loose upon the axle, said cam wheel being surrounded by a peripherally extending zigzag groove, means for locking the cam wheel with the axle, a transversely reciprocating plunger slidable through the fixed plate and having a roller at its inner end for engagement with the zigzag groove, a Pivot bolt for mounting the roller upon .the

- sleeve which projects laterally neeenee reeiproeeting plunger, eeid bolt being formed with a recessed head, an anti-friction ball mounted upon the recessed heed of the bolt for engagement with the inner face of the rim of the hollow drive wheel, e retaining ring for holding the anti-friction bell in position, e swinging hanger carried by the xed plate and supporting the reciproceting plunger, a cutter, and an operative eonnectmn between the cutter and 'the reciproeatingplunger.

4. A mowing machine including an axle, drive Wheels applied to the axle, one of the drive wheels being hollow end formed with ven open side, a lixed late closing the open side of the hollow drlve wheel and formed with an opening surrounded by a. guide from `'the plate, a cam Wheel arranged within the hollow drive wheel and loose npon the axle, `ineens for locking the cam Wheel with the axle, a detachable rim surrounding the cam Wheel and provided "with a peripheral bmj zi e oove, e, trensversel reeiproeetinpliieigelidable through theygnide sleeve o the plete end provided et its inner end "with e roller for engagement with the zigzag groove of the oom wheel, e, pivot bolt oonnesting the Wheel to the reciprocating plunger, an anti-friction hall mounted upon the head of the pivot holt for enfgagement with the inner face of the rim o the hollow drive Wheel, a swinging henger carried by the xed plate and engagingr the said pivot bolt` to support the reciprocating plunger, a cutter, and en o eretive connection thetvveen the cutter an fthe reciprocating plunger.

ln testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses..

@LETER S. MQORE. WALTER N. METCLR Witnesses:

il, R. Mn'roenr, EDGAR Wesson. 

